Where Should I Start?
Different resources will point you in different directions and help to develop different aspects of your thesis. This process is not always linear - you may end up needing to backtrack or regroup if you find something that takes your thesis in an unexpected direction - but here are general types of resources you can consider:
Reference Resources (print or online)
These can be a good place to start for general or background information, and can help you get a grasp on the basics: a general answer to the "Who? What? Where? When? Why?" questions that will be important as you start to search more complex resources.
Books (print or eBook)
Depending on your topic, you may rely heavily on these or not as much. Keep in mind that just like with articles, some books are scholarly (usually from a University press) and some are meant more for popular consumption. Books are almost always considered to be secondary sources but can be a valuable place to find citations that will lead to primary sources.
Articles in the Library Databases
Carmichael subscribes to around 150 databases, and no two are exactly alike. Some contain newspaper articles only, some only contain articles about one academic subject, and some have a little bit of everything. You can find both scholarly articles (sometimes called "academic" or "peer-reviewed" depending on the database) as well as articles from other publications such as newspapers and magazines. This guide will point you towards some databases to start out with, but the librarians can also help suggest ones you may find useful for your topic.
Web sources, digital archives, etc
Some of you will need to rely heavily on these and others hardly at all - it will vary greatly depending on your topic.
Search Strategy
Construct Sample Search
The Occupation of Alcatraz (1969-1971) and its impact on the American Indian Movement
